


Support

by MoonlightBreeze



Series: Febuwhump 2021 [13]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: (I'm making that a tag), Alec Lightwood & Jace Wayland Friendship, Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Alec Lightwood Feels, Alec Lightwood Needs A Hug, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, FebuWhump2021, Gen, Good Friend Andrew Underhill, Good Parabatai Jace Wayland, Hiding Injuries, Hurt Alec Lightwood, I'm sure he'll get it eventually, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, It's more like a hopeful ending, he thinks he has too much to do to get the nice things, no beta we die like men, rune misuse, well kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:06:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29420574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonlightBreeze/pseuds/MoonlightBreeze
Summary: It’s been a rough week. Alec is dealing. But when things go a little too far, he needs some support from a trusted friend.Febuwhump Day 13 - Hiding injuryWarnings for canon-typical injury and implied/referenced self-harm (refusing to treat an injury and rune misuse). Please keep yourselves safe! <3
Relationships: Alec Lightwood & Andrew Underhill, Alec Lightwood & Jace Wayland, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Febuwhump 2021 [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138970
Comments: 6
Kudos: 75





	Support

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aria_Lerendeair](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/gifts).



> Hey, guys! Today's Febuwhump prompt is: hiding injury. I knew what I was going to do with this one from the very start of Febuwhump because this prompt is perfect for Alec. Though, I will admit that the Alec & Underhill friendship focus was entirely unplanned. 
> 
> A huge thanks to [Aria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/pseuds/Aria_Lerendeair) for the idea of rune misuse here. She posited the idea to me of runes becoming ineffective after they've been used too much over and over again. She also introduced the idea of "parabatai upgrading" the runes so they were stronger, and pitched me a story idea a long time ago about Alec tricking Jace into parabatai upgrading a rune for him. She is why those details are in here. <3
> 
> Warnings for canon-typical injury and implied/referenced self-harm (via refusing to treat an injury and rune mis/overuse). Please keep yourselves safe! <3
> 
> To Aria ~: You probably don't even remember when you pitched this idea to me; it was a long time ago. However, I decided to gift this fic to you since you're the reason I included the details about rune misuse and Alec tricking Jace into parabatai upgrading his rune. Also, it's just a general thank-you for being an amazing friend and all-around wonderful person <3 Thank you for everything you do and say, and I hope you enjoy this fic!! 
> 
> With that being said, let's get on to the story! Kudos make my day and comments validate my existence, so please feel free to leave those, if you want :) And, as always, I hope you have a wonderful day/night!
> 
> ~ Em

Alec limped off of patrol, leaving his Shadowhunters to clean themselves up and get checked out at the infirmary. He wasn’t even supposed to be on this patrol; after half a day of filling out paperwork and swimming through the Clave’s exorbitant amount of red tape, Alec had needed to kill something. 

Jace cornered him before he could reach his office, his hand pressed to his parabatai rune. “You okay?” he asked, regarding Alec with a mixture of suspicion and concern. 

Alec straightened up, ignoring the way pain shot through his leg at the movement. “Yeah, Jace, I’m fine.” 

“Why does the rune hurt, then?”

“Probably because I’m tired,” Alec replied. It wasn’t an outright lie. He _was_ extremely tired. 

“Yeah, okay,” Jace said, not sounding entirely convinced. He hesitated, obviously reluctant to leave Alec to his own devices. Alec sighed. He just wanted to go back to his office and finish the stupid paperwork he’d been avoiding by going on patrol in the first place. 

“You want to help?” Alec asked, digging in his pocket for his stele. “Upgrade my stamina rune for me.” Though it wasn’t common knowledge among parabatais, it had taken Jace and Alec all of two weeks after their ceremony to realise that runes had a much stronger effect when they were ignited by someone’s parabatai, and it was something that the two of them had been relying on during battle for years. 

Sometimes, however, battle wasn’t the only instance in which Alec needed Jace to increase the strength of a rune, and he knew that it wasn’t always for a good reason, either, but he was so tired that he couldn’t be bothered to care. 

Jace narrowed his eyes at him. “You shouldn’t need me to. Stamina runes usually work pretty well on their own.”

“Yeah, but I’m _really_ tired,” Alec lied easily. He didn’t need Jace to know that his stamina rune wasn’t working because he’d overused it too many times already. “I promise I’ll take a nap or something after this, I just need to get this paperwork sent over to the Clave before this evening.”

“Okay,” Jace agreed, frowning. He took Alec’s stele from him and lifted his shirt to reveal the stamina rune on his hip. Alec, not for the first time, thanked the Angels that rune overuse wasn’t obvious to onlookers. Jace never would have agreed to parabatai upgrade it if he’d known Alec needed him to because he’d worn out the rune. 

As soon as Jace touched the tip of Alec’s stele to his hip, Alec felt a burst of renewed energy and exhaled softly in relief. The initial exhaustion was still there, of course, but it was quickly buried underneath the reignited stamina rune’s power. 

Jace handed Alec’s stele back to him, and Alec pocketed it once more. “Thanks,” he said to Jace. 

“Don’t mention it,” Jace replied. “I’ll be back in two hours. If you’re still working, I’m going to drag your ass home and make you take a break. Got it?”

“Got it,” Alec said, rolling his eyes. Jace clapped him on the shoulder and turned down the hall towards his bedroom. The instant he was gone, Alec sagged with relief and limped towards his office once more. 

The demon had managed to rake Alec with its claws, and he knew the wound was probably infected with venom, but the type of demon they were chasing wasn’t too dangerous, and Alec knew he would be good to leave it for a few hours. Truthfully, the bite of pain was grounding him, keeping him focused, and he didn’t want it to leave. 

Alec tried to push away that train of thought by settling down at his desk and picking up the first file he had to go over. It was a large stack, and he had a long day ahead of him. 

~ ~ ~

By the time he finished the paperwork he was supposed to send in from the Clave, night had fallen and the pain in Alec’s leg was sharp and severe. The stamina rune, even with his parabatai’s extra touch, had burnt out and Alec was left feeling just as exhausted as he had that morning.

Jace had come and gone, and although Alec did feel bad for getting up from his desk and stretching out over the futon in his office, pretending to be asleep, when Jace had knocked, it was for the better in the long run. His parabatai had good intentions, but Alec knew he needed to get this work done. There would only be more tomorrow. 

Alec tried to stand up, leaning the majority of his weight on his desk, but his leg still seized and nearly gave out from the barest hint of pressure Alec put on it. He sighed, fighting back the urge to just call Magnus and have him portal to the Institute to fix it. That would mean a conversation about why Alec hadn’t said anything sooner, and Alec didn’t know if he could deal with that right now. 

Jace would probably be half angry and half concerned if Alec told him he’d forgotten to get an injury checked out after patrol, and Alec knew that was because he had never been able to hide much from Jace; Jace would know he’d opted not to say anything on purpose, and he would know at least a little bit about why. 

Izzy would be worried, and Alec hated putting that look on his baby sister’s face. She shouldn’t have to deal with his issues when there was so much going on in the Shadow World already. She had enough on her plate. Alec wasn’t going to willingly add to the pile. 

Alec sighed. That left only one other option, and it was the one he hated the most. He was a _leader_ , he shouldn’t need a subordinate’s help - but if _someone_ didn’t help him, he was going to fall before he even got to the door of his office and that would do no one any good. 

Begrudgingly, Alec picked up the phone and dialed the number with one hand, keeping the other hand on his desk for balance. 

“Underhill? Yeah, hi, could you come up here to my office for a minute? I need some help.”

It took Underhill a total of two minutes to reach Alec’s office, and by the time he got there, Alec was sweaty and pale, clutching his desk for support. 

“Sir!” Underhill exclaimed in alarm. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I mean - not really,” Alec said, wincing as he tried to push himself up to face his friend how he normally would. “I can’t walk. I just need to get to the infirmary, and I didn’t want to ask the others to help me.” He shook his head. “They’ve got enough to worry about.”

Underhill rolled his eyes at Alec’s statement, but he moved closer and wrapped an arm around Alec’s waist anyway. “Come on, then,” he said. “Let’s get you to the infirmary.” Alec let go of the desk with one hand and slowly, painfully, wrapped his arm around Underhill’s shoulders. He exhaled shakily when he was in place, leaning his full weight on his good leg. “Ready, sir?”

“Yeah,” Alec responded breathlessly. “Let’s go.”

With that, Underhill began to move, and Alec did his best to move with him. It was slow progress, and they had to stop sometimes so Alec could catch his breath, but eventually, they made it down to the infirmary. Underhill helped Alec onto one of the beds there and found an Institute doctor to treat him. 

“Hey, thank you,” Alec called, just before Underhill disappeared to let the infirmary doctor work. 

“Of course, sir,” Underhill replied, and Alec could hear the undercurrent of warmth in it; he wasn’t saying that as Alec’s subordinate, but as his friend. 

Underhill paused by the door, hesitating, and then turned around and left a small envelope on the table beside Alec’s bed. He gave Alec a small smile and a quick, “See you later, sir!” before walking out the infirmary door and leaving Alec by himself. Confused, Alec picked up the envelope and split the seal; it was addressed to him, which didn’t make any sense. If Underhill needed to talk to Alec, he knew exactly where to find him. 

Bewildered, Alec unfolded the piece of paper inside the envelope and began to read.

_Alec,_

_I know we aren’t as close as you are with Magnus and your siblings, but I wanted to extend my support to you, however you may need it. It can’t be easy being the first Shadowhunter to make the advances you have and change the Clave in such drastic ways. I know you’ve faced opposition, and if I know you at all, I know that you haven’t spoken with any of your family about it._

_You’re a true friend and you’ve saved my ass more times than I can count. If you ever need anything, you know where to find me._

_~ Andrew_

Alec exhaled softly, clutching the letter tighter in his hands. It was the nicest gesture he’d received from any Shadowhunter that wasn’t family in ages, and it felt... _good_. It felt good to know he had a friend, someone he could count on. 

Alec sighed and leaned his head back on the uncomfortable infirmary pillow and closed his eyes. Tomorrow, he knew he would have to talk to Underhill about what had happened. He knew the other man would have questions - why didn’t Alec treat it sooner? Why was Alec out on patrol in the first place? And, even more so now after reading the letter, Alec knew he deserved answers.

Underhill was a good friend. Alec wasn’t looking forward to talking to him about this, but he did know that it would go easier than any conversation with his siblings or Magnus would. Underhill understood some parts of Alec that none of them ever could, and he was grateful for it. 

In any case, hidden injuries and paperwork be damned, Alec knew he was lucky to have a friend like Andrew. Maybe, with his help, Alec could learn how to talk to the rest of his family, as well.

**Author's Note:**

> [Stalk me on Tumblr](https://moonlight-breeze-44.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Prompts are open!
> 
> Want to join a multifandom Discord server full of wonderful creators and fans alike? Join us here: [The Fandom Playhouse!](https://discord.gg/82pvdE39fD)


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